I discovered this today. It’s not a fresh break and I bought this tractor recently. It’s the lower part of frame where a piece that goes from one side to the other attaches. Can I just have it welded back together. How critical is it?
Broken FEL Subframe
- Thread starter Firefighterontheside
- Start date
That subframe connector transfers some of the load on that side to the opposite side as a load is placed on the loader.
I consider it important. Yes it can be welded. The material is steel. The material is thick, so it's best to bevel and then weld in multiple passes.
I consider it important. Yes it can be welded. The material is steel. The material is thick, so it's best to bevel and then weld in multiple passes.
Thanks. I’m not a welder, but I have a friend who is. Guess I’ll be loading the tractor on the trailer soon.
WOW! That sure is a beefy looking place for a break. I'm sure you know this already but just in case,,,. Do whatever is necessary to grind off "pointy" material in the break then clamp, press or even drill, tap and bolt the broken part to get it as close to original position as possible. Sometimes a chain and buck along with some shims strategically placed, can come in handy to wrap around the bucket, in your case so as to pull misplaced parts tight and into alignment. As stated above you will want to bevel and prep the weld before clamping. Good luck, although it does not look like a immediate death sentence to me, you will rest better fixing it now rather than taking a chance screwing it up worse through heavy loads/use.Thanks. I***8217;m not a welder, but I have a friend who is. Guess I***8217;ll be loading the tractor on the trailer soon.
Last edited:
I was really surprised when I saw it. I thought for sure the gap I was seeing was not a break until I got down closer. I will be able to remove the cross arm piece and then the broken piece will be easier for a welder to put back in place.
I guess that seems like a good idea, although you might look at it before unbolting it to see if the cross member might possibly help align and hold the stump in place? Also, the stump piece is small enough that I can't see how it will be easy to hold in place to tack then weld it with the bucket up at a comfortable height unless a clamp can be used somehow..... I will be able to remove the cross arm piece and then the broken piece will be easier for a welder to put back in place.
I think the cross member will block all access for welding on one side of the broken piece. This is under the feet of the operator, so the position of the loader won’t make any difference.
Duh; I don't know why I ASSUMED it was on the bottom of the fel. As a matter of fact, I can't even fathom that a cross member would be necessary to transfer partial load across the frame!.... This is under the feet of the operator, so the position of the loader won’t make any difference.